Strangers on a Train
by musical89
Summary: Draco and Harry have had to keep their meetings a secret, have had to pretend to be nothing more that strangers outside of their special meeting place. Will they be able to find the courage to break this cycle and become more?


Strangers on the Train ~ A Harry and Draco OneShot

Draco crinkled his nose at all the muggles scurrying around King's cross.

'_He's lucky he's so bloody irresistible.'_ Draco thought crossly as he bit back an insult for the piece of filth that had just bumped into him.

Draco hurried through the crowd, trying to dodge the muggles and swallowing the curses he could hurtle at any one of them.

"Where is that damn vendor?" Draco muttered to himself as he paused then scanned the crowd. _'There!'_ he though. He made his way over to the man with the big yellow umbrella on his cart full of wares.

'_Now… doesn't he have it?' _Draco thought, hurriedly perusing the cart.

"Over here, young man." The knowing vendor said. "You were running a tad late, I was starting to wonder if you would stop by this year. I had started to fear I'd ordered this for nothing." The man went around to the back of the cart and, after a moment of rummaging, pulled out a green and silver heart shaped box. "Here you go. For your special someone." He said with a knowing sparkle in his eye.

Draco had been going to that cart for the past nine years. Every day on the day the Hogwarts Express was scheduled to pull out, Draco came and picked up the same chocolate he'd been buying since his second year at school. It was always there waiting for him even though the vendor had stopped selling it regularly.

And every year Draco stood fumbling with the muggle money.

The vendor gently took the notes and change from Draco and counted out the same amount he always did, then returned the rest to Draco.

Draco reached for the box but the man held it just out of Draco's reach, as always.

"Every year, the same lack of manners." The man said with a twinkle in his eye. "You've grown into an adult, yet you still forget the same words I had to teach you when you were a child."

At this, Draco smiled. "Thank you, sir."

The vendor returned the smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "You're very welcome." He said as he handed Draco the box. "Before you go, may I ask who these are for?"

Draco smiled wryly, "For my stranger on the train." He said simply, then walked away.

Draco never though he would be as relieved to set foot on the train as he was today. The station had been remarkably crowded this year, so it took him a long while to cross onto platform 9 ¾ without too many muggles seeing. He wasn't worried about the train leaving though – it wouldn't leave without the potions master's apprentice.

When he'd graduated, Draco had had no idea as to what he'd do for his career. After the ceremony, he'd gone on his own little farewell trip of the castle. When he walked into Severus's classroom, Severus was waiting for him with a job offer that Draco accepted right away. The only catch was that Draco had to monitor the students on the train with one apprentice from each of the other three houses.

Draco went on his rounds quickly, eager to reach the last car on the right, always with the shades pulled.

When Draco walked in he was immediately aware of His presence, though he didn't let it show. Draco slid the door closed behind him and crossed the cabin to pull the blinds down on the window. With his back turned, he smiled when he heard the lock on the door 'click' soundly into place.

Draco withdrew the box from its hiding place in his robes just as arms wound around his waist from behind.

"Hello Harry." Draco said quietly, starting their age-old routine.

"How do you know my name?" Harry asked, feigning shyness.

"I've seen you before, on this train. I've heard others say it."

"And you are?"

"A stranger."

"A very handsome stranger at that."

And with the last line in their little skit, Draco turned around and pulled Harry in close to him. He inhaled Harry's scent and closed his eyes.

"How I've missed you…" Draco murmured.

"And I, you. Do you know how much it kills me to see you in the paper with that woman?" Harry said quietly, clinging to Draco.

Draco sat and pulled Harry into his lap. Harry resisted at first but gave in after a second's protest.

"And do you think I enjoy knowing you go to bed every night next to that Weasley woman? Astoria and I live as friends do. We married for our families and had intercourse a total of two times while we were trying to conceive Scorpius. Otherwise we have lived as the best of friends. Nothing more. But you love that woman and you sleep with her each night of summer and nights in between when you can. You and she have a family as husband and wife. Astoria and I have a family as mother and father, nothing romantic."

Harry sighed, "I don't enjoy it. She practically jumps on me when she feels like it. And how would I explain it if I slept elsewhere? 'Sorry kids, I don't want to sleep in my room because your mother tries to jump my bones every time I lay down.'? And what would I tell her? She's a good kid. I just… she's my best friend's baby sister. He didn't want me marrying her in the first place; can you imagine how he would react to me divorcing her? I couldn't do that to the kids, anyhow. Albus is so emotional, he'd be devastated. And Lily is so attached to her mother, she'd never forgive me. And James barely speaks to me as it is."

Draco sighed but rested his chin on Harry's head. "You're making excuses again."

"I'm sorry. That's not how I want to spend my time with you. I just… I've been trying to find a solution somewhere but I don't see a neat one… neither at home nor in the world. To the public, we grudgingly shake hands at big events then go on hating each other. I miss you. Once we leave this cabin, I'll start missing you right away. I don't want to leave this cabin without you by my side."

Now this was crossing a line that neither of them had dared to cross before. This was talk of going public. Of coming out as a couple.

"Harry… Do you understand what you're saying?" Draco struggled to string words together in coherent sentences. His mind was running in so many different directions that he wasn't sure which one to follow.

"Yeah.. I think I do." Harry murmured softly. "Don't you want to, Dray?"

Draco's stomach fluttered as Harry looked up to him with those big beautiful green orbs.

"I do. It's just… Harry you're not thinking this through. You're not processing the ramifications if this action. You're _so_ intelligent, but sometimes you're as naïve as can be."

"I'm not naïve, I'm optimistic. We have such a good relationship, Draco. I don't want to let that go. We can work through this. We can make it." Harry said. His eyes pleaded with Draco.

Draco sighed and hugged Harry. "You're so, so naïve. It's adorable. But you do not comprehend what would happen. There are so many things that could collapse. Your family, for one. Ginevra isn't exactly the most understanding witch. And you said yourself what would happen to the kids. And my mother would just go batshit crazy. She's been halfway there ever since dear old dad was executed. Astoria would be fine. Honestly, I think she knows I'm gay anyhow. Scorpius is only a year old, he wouldn't know the difference. But for you… it would be a raging mess."

"So you're telling me to stay unhappy?" the Gryffindor shoved Draco away and stood up. He held his shaking fists at his sides and fought back tears. "You love her more than me! That's what this is about, isn't it? You love the life she gives you! You love the freedom the being with her allows you! Because with me, you'd have your precious image tarnished! You're such a… such a bloody idiot! I hate you!" Harry stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him before Draco could even begin to comprehend what had just transpired.

By the time Draco opened the door and stepped into the hall to look for him, Harry had gone. So Draco conjured up a piece of parchment and scribbled a hasty note. With a flick of his wand, Draco sent it on its way.

Back at Malfoy manor, Astoria opened the unexpected note. As she read it, a smile broke across her face and a giggle of pure joy burst from her lips.

She looked to her son playing on the floor in front of her and told him, "Daddy's finally going to let himself be happy."

Just as the train pulled into the station, Draco jumped off and looked around, trying to find him. Students poured out, but Draco was unconcerned with them for the moment. The reporters were there also, just as they were every year since Harry and Draco had started teaching, but they didn't warrant Draco's attention either. There was only one person he was looking for.

There! In the crowd, Draco spotted his tall lantern. As he approached, Draco heard him yelling, "First years! First years over here!" Harry had wanted that job so badly; it made Draco happy to see him standing in it.

Draco pushed through the crowd of first years until he reached him. The reporters formed a group around them, snapping pictured already, hoping to get a good shot to send to the Prophet. Draco knew his next move was going to give them one.

Draco put his arms around Harry and kissed him passionately.

"Get ready to start cleaning up the mess." Draco said.

Harry beamed up at him, "I don't care as long as you're there with me."

For the first time in nine years, they didn't have to pretend to just be strangers on the train.


End file.
